NBA Finals Game 4 scores 12.0 rating

Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs on ABC Thursday night received a 12.0 overnight Nielsen rating.

The rating was down from last year's 12.4 for Game 4 of the Heat-Oklahoma City Thunder series, which aired on a Tuesday night.

Thursday's game was expected to be the 34th straight time an NBA Finals contest was the highest-rated TV program for the night, according to Sports Business Daily.

The game peaked with a 14.1 rating during the 11 p.m-11:30 p.m. ET slot. San Antonio averaged a 43.7 local rating, while Miami-Ft. Lauderdale averaged a 34.2. Those figures represented the highest ratings for the series in both markets.

The San Antonio Express-News reported that the ratings were slightly down from last year because the Thunder and Heat feature two of the NBA's biggest stars in Kevin Durant and LeBron James, and there is also a perception that the Spurs are boring.

However, the NBA Finals historically get better ratings as the series goes on. The best-of-seven series is guaranteed to last at least six games.